UN Coordinator warns Lebanon’s window for reform won’t stay open indefinitely

While briefing the U.N. Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 1701 on Thursday, Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert warned that Lebanon’s opportunity for meaningful change “will not stay open indefinitely.”

Speaking alongside Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari, Hennis-Plasschaert welcomed the recent steps taken by the Lebanese authorities and the progress of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Still, she stressed the uphill path ahead, citing the urgent need to tackle systemic corruption, clientelism, and the issue of arms outside state control. 

“There can be no turning back,” she said. “This work must be done. It must be done to restore public trust. To build investor and depositor confidence. To preserve stability. And certainly, it must be done to move the needle on financing for recovery and reconstruction.”

While acknowledging that state monopoly over arms won’t happen overnight, she called for an overdue roadmap with clear timelines and concrete plans. “The question of non-state arms is multi-faceted,” she noted, “and demands foresight and a dedicated framework.”

Addressing the fragile security situation, Hennis-Plasschaert pointed to Israel’s continued presence in five positions and two buffer zones, as well as ongoing airstrikes. “This new status quo cannot and must not be accepted as normal,” she said, warning that it will not bring the stability the parties claim to seek.

She also highlighted Lebanon’s exposure to regional tensions, referencing recent escalations between Iran and Israel and developments in Syria. A political-level track is urgently needed, she said, to complement military mechanisms and help resolve unsettled issues. “Short of this, sustainable solutions will continue to elude both sides.” 

Concluding, Hennis-Plasschaert cautioned that Lebanon risks being sidelined as regional dynamics evolve. It’s "a harsh reality that must be acknowledged,” she said, while calling for sustained international support.